CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The sheriff of Mecklenburg County is raffling off several guns including semi-automatic rifles to fund his re-election campaign.
The sheriff said it's not the first time there’s been a gun raffle, adding that it works.
Tickets are $50 for a chance to win a weapon and the raffle will be in February. People can buy three tickets for $100.
"I support the Second Amendment and I got a lot of supporters who support the Second Amendment," Sheriff Irwin Carmichael said.
Some voters think that raffling off weapons isn’t a great idea as part of a re-election campaign.
"I love guns, don't get me wrong,” gun owner Michael Foster said. “I've carried them all my life. You shouldn't have to bribe people with a raffle just for your vote."
Gun store owner Larry Hyatt said that Carmichael has been very stingy when it comes to issuing gun permits.
"He turns down more permit applications if someone has even the slightest bit of mental issues, even veterans," Hyatt said.
"They are going to have to go through (the) same process,” Carmichael said. “It will be no different than going to a store and purchasing a firearm -- all the background checks are going to have to be done."
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